The present disclosure relates generally to methods and devices for removing material from a substrate.
During the life of an aircraft, various portions of the aircraft may need to be repair or replaced. Removal of the portions of the aircraft is time consuming and performed in a manner that does not damage other portions of the aircraft. Some aircraft, such as military aircraft, have components configured to reduce a radar signature of the aircraft. For example, the exterior of the aircraft may have radar absorbing material (RAM) in certain locations. The RAM may cover one or more portions of the aircraft, such as panels, seams between panels, fastener heads, and the like. In some instances, the RAM needs to be removed to access one or more panels or parts of the aircraft.
Removal of the RAM is typically performed by hand sanding of the material in the desired location or by using a rotary cutter. The removal process is time consuming and labor intensive. For example, the removal rate commonly requires more than an hour per foot. In some instances, a metalized coating layer is provided on the surface of the aircraft, such as beneath the RAM. Removal of the RAM is performed without disturbing the metalized coating layer or damaging other sub-layers. Care must be taken to ensure that the metalized coating layer or other sub-layers are not damaged. Controlling the depth of sanding or cutting using the rotary cutter is difficult. The processed surface tends to be inconsistent due to the variable sanding or cutting. Additionally, in some instances, it is desirable to provide a taper at the edge of the removed RAM to allow re-filling of the RAM after repairing or replacing the panel. Accordingly, tapering the surface also increases the amount of hand sanding and thus the amount of time required to complete the repair
As another example, portions of the aircraft made of composite materials may have various layers. It may be desirable to remove or change the thickness of one layer, such as a top layer, without affecting layers below the top layer. Sanding or scraping may be used, but the process is time consuming and it is difficult to control the depth of sanding or scraping.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and device for material removal from a substrate in a cost effective and reliable manner.